Houchin Blood Bank will once again be bringing their Bloodmobile to Taft next Tuesday, January 8, to collect life-giving blood.

Houchin will be will be in the Chamber of Commerce parking lot on the corner of Kern and Fourth Streets from 1 p.m to 6 p.m.

Giving blood is not painful or harmful; it takes only a few minutes, and it may save someone’s life. Houchin Blood Bank is a non-profit organization which draws, processes, stores and delivers blood to all the hospitals in Kern County.

They rely completely on volunteers as the source of their blood, and they require 150 units of blood each day to service the needs in this region. They are especially in need of A-, B-, AB-, and O- donors at this time.

Who can give blood? Donors must be at least 17 years old and weigh a minimum of 110 pounds. There is no upper age limit. There are a number of conditions which disqualify one for donation including AIDS, hepatitis, Yellow Jaundice, heart disease, drug use and cancer in the previous five years.

How should one prepare for donation? Eat a meal within four hours before donating. Well-balanced meals are preferred, with little or no dairy products, caffeine or fried foods. One should be free from all cold, flu or infection symptoms.

Blood donors are very special people. Only about 3% of the population donates blood, which makes it very difficult to meet the demands, since a majority of people will need blood at some time in their lives.